It might have been young 18-year old German driver Janne Stiak’s season, having clinched the 2024/2025 Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East Championship with a round to go for the DHL Team last weekend in Bahrain, but it was Caleb Sumich’s weekend for Round Six in Jeddah, taking outright victory in both races across the two days of the saeson finale.
Providing the major support category for the Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Round Six of the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East Championship at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit again provided spectacular racing both under lights on Saturday evening and in the sun on Sunday. A full grid of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 992) cars lived up to their reputation of providing the most exciting, one-make racing in the world.
“What a way to finish the series with such dominant driving from both Caleb in the DHL Team car and the Saudi Racing team, who really fired up the partisan local crowd,” said Robert Lechner, series head and promoter.
Honours across the two qualifying sessions were divided between Khaled Alahmadi, who claimed pole position for Saudi Racing for Race 1 by clocking a time of 2:05.342 around the 6.17km Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and Sumich.
Alahmadi claimed the rare honour of holding three class pole positions in the same race as he was also competing in the ProAM and GCC categories, as well as taking the outright fastest time.
Under the bright floodlights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, birthday boy Caleb Sumich took a popular win for the DHL Team ahead of the BWT Junior Racing entry of Porsche GB Junior James Wallis with Saudi Arabia’s Saud Al Saud completing the podium.
Al Saud also took the top spot for the ProAM division ahead of AV Racing’s Alexandra Vateva, the only female racing in Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East, and the UAE’s Saif Al Ameri racing for Rabdan Motorsport. Al Saud also won the GCC class while his teammate and pole sitter Alahmadi didn’t enjoy the same luck after he was pushed out of the race after starting from pole.
MVII Racing’s Mike Mim took the chequered flag for the Masters category in Race One but it wasn’t enough to stop Japanese driver Bankcy from being declared the inaugural Masters Champion in his Seven X Seven 911 GT3 Cup car.
Bankcy’s third in class behind the GT Sports Technology car of Petr Brecka was enough to seal the title with one race to spare.
“This is just an incredible feeling to win. We fought hard all season coming from behind to eventually take the top spot and it has been enormously fun racing with these guys here in the Middle East,” said Bankcy.
Race Two saw Sumich start from pole and receive intense pressure for the entire race, winning by just 0.145 seconds from Wallis, with Alahmadi only 0.7 seconds back in third. Alahmadi also took the ProAM victory in a one-two for Saudi Racing, with Al Saud second from AV Racing’s Vateva third in class.
The second in class was all Saud Al Saud needed to secure both the ProAM and the GCC titles in front of his home crowd in Jeddah.
“The chase went right to the very end but I am extremely happy for my team at Saudi Racing and for the incredible competition I endured from my team mate Khaled Alahmadi who pushed me every weekend to literally the last moments of the last race," said Al Saud.
"And also thanks to Abdulla Al Khelaifi from Qatar and Saif Al Ameri and the UAE guys from Rabdan Motorsport who gave us some great racing for the GCC honours, we’ll see you next season.”
Adding more accolades, Saudi Racing also secured the Teams championship in front of its home crowd.
Bankcy, on a roll and fresh from securing the Masters Championship in Race One, enjoyed another strong battle to take his eighth class win of the season in Race Two with sixth outright from Mike Mim and GT Sports Technology’s Petr Brecka in third.
Janne Stiak wrapped up the outright title with 235 points for DHL Team, from Wallis in second on 188 points and Angus Whiteside racing for Proton Huber Competition on 155 points. Sumich was fourth in outright points ahead of the Saudi Racing duo of Al Saud and Alahmadi, in front of Al Khelaifi, seventh outright and third in the GCC Class.
Bankcy earned 83 points for his Masters Class win and eighth outright in a closely fought battle from Mim just six points adrift on 78 points, with Brecka roundingo out the top 10 on 64 points.
In The Media
Click here for coverage from Speedcafe.
Motorsports
